The Greatest Live Jazz Concerts

What are the greatest live jazz concerts in history? What makes them great? The historical significance? The music that was recorded? A significant moment that happened with the crowd (ala Duke at Newport or Benny at Carnegie Hall)? The greatness of each individual musician?

I recently stumbled across the Esquire All-American Jazz Concert of 1944 and was astounded by the lineup of musicians and the level of the playing.

While the famous Carnegie Hall concert of ‘38 featured specifically Benny Goodman’s Orchestra as well members of the Count Basie and Duke Ellington units (clearly a John Hammond production), the lineup for this concert was solely based on the democratic results of Esquire’s newly created readers-poll for Jazz.

And so, the greatest band of the time was selected, but what venue could rival Carnegie Hall in symbolic importance, and get the musicians to agree to perform for free (all tickets were purchased as war bonds)? How about The Metropolitan Opera house, which had never before hosted America’s Music in its gilded hall.

The Lineup:

Trumpets: Louis Armstrong, Roy Eldridge

Trombone: Jack Teagarden

Saxophone: Coleman Hawkins

Clarinet: Barney Bigard

Guitar: Al Casey

Piano: Art Tatum (and sometimes Teddy Wilson)

Bass: Oscar Pettiford

Drums: Sidney “Big Sid” Catlett

Vox: Billie Holiday, Mildred Bailey

Percussion: Lionel Hampton, Red Norvo

Full Concert Here:

https://youtu.be/2Gx5r5NaxO8?si=EO86IVip1oQ2MTWs

Considering the historical and cultural significance of this evening, the level of musicianship on stage, and the quality of the live recording, is this the single most valuable documented Jazz concert of it’s era (over the Carnegie Hall Concerts)? Could it also be considered the greatest Jazz collective ever assembled on stage at one time?

If so, then why have I just heard of it after 15+ years of Jazz “education”… shakes head to the melody of Giant Steps over a backbeat